I was looking for a lighter read after my spate of non-fiction books and came across this book which has been languishing on my TBR. I found this from Em’s very positive review of it (if you see this, Em, I miss your posts!) and put it on my TBR list where it has sat ever since.

Changeling is a book about a failed attempt to swap a changeling with a human child. Cole and Tinn are identical twins with a difference – one of them is a changeling, but even they don’t know who. But lulled into the woods by a mysterious note, the twins find themselves on an adventure as they try to get to the Goblin Horde to save the world.

This was a really sweet Middle-Grade fantasy. Actually, I’m not sure if it’s fully in the MG space because parts of it felt like MG but aimed at adults and I’m not sure if kids will fully enjoy it. Personally, I really liked it, especially the parts that follow the twin’s mum, Annie, as she tries to get her boys back but I’m not an MG expert and I did find myself wondering who the true audience of the book was.

In terms of characters, we have a great cast. Tinn and Cole are the stars and their adventures with Fable, a mysterious girl, were fun to follow. I also enjoyed the second plot, which followed the adults Annie, Kull (the goblin), and the Queen of the Deep Dark. Both storylines worked together to emphasise the message that your origins do not define who your family is. One of the twins might be a goblin but their brotherly bond is real and Annie’s love for both of them is equally strong.

Another thing I liked: the family bonds were strong from the beginning. There’s not much angst here – the boys do worry a bit about which of them is the changeling, but the familial love between the three of them were strong from the start and I really liked that.

The main plot of this story is wrapped up within the book but Ritter leaves the door open for book two. While I enjoyed this book very much, I also remember not enjoying the end of the Jackaby series (also by him) so I’m in two minds as to whether I want to continue this or just think of it as a fun, heartwarming standalone story.